Emigrant Families

By 1853 emigrant families were adding to the population and by their accession, tincturing with sobriety and morality the turbulent society of the camp.

Among those early arrivals were the heads of the Lewis and Akers families, with their numerous descendants and connections. These, with other families in a large company, reached Four Creeks, by way of the southern trail from Arkansas, in the late fall of 1852. They were compelled to remain at that location during the extremely wet winter of 1852-53, as all progress over boggy plains and swollen streams was impossible. By spring their condition was desperate. With a scanty and rapidly diminishing supply of food, it was imperative to reach a point of succor. Fort Miller was their goal. The wagons halted at the flooded Kings river. Some of the men crossed on their animals and rode to the Fort. Pleading for flour they were given but little, as the garrison supply was short and no incoming freight possible. With the dole received they set out on the return to their famishing wives and children. At Big Dry creek they accidentally met a man who was settled near by. Informed of their extremity he gave them, without price or promise, a whole sack of flour out of his store of a sack and a half! The hungry families now subsisted on flour boiled as mush, and on one occasion enriched it by the broth from a stewed hawk. Such was their desperate condition till receding water allowed them to reach the San Joaquin, where soon they were enabled by employment in the mines to satisfy their needs.

With some funds and necessary food supplies the Akers family returned to Kings river and settled permanently. Others of their overland companions had also concluded to remain in that vicinity; among them, the Glenn and Smoot families.

Henry Chambers and his wife (born Akers) of this company stayed at Millerton. Building materials were in demand; and when the snows melted, Chambers with his wife and baby braved the wilds and climed to the sugarpine forest at its northwestern extremity. Camping at the meadow (now known as Corlew’s) Chambers began splitting out stakes and burning charcoal. Undisturbed for a time, they suddenly heard rumors of Indian attacks. They hurriedly abandoned everything and fled for safety. Chambers carried the child and his rifle all the twenty-five miles to Millerton; his wife keeping stride with him on the long rapid run.

James H. (Doc.) Lewis, a “yarb doctor,” one of the heads of the same immigrant families, soon left the San Joaquin, and located with his wife and several sons and daughters, on Fine Gold gulch. Not long after his arrival he bought out the store, boarding house and saloon (all in one tent) from Malcolm and Shepherd (heretofore mentioned), and continued operation of the various departments. His thrifty wife was kept busy filling the needs of the community with good home made shirts, for each of which she was paid $5.00. Mrs. Lewis was te first white woman in all the region from Mariposa to the San Joaquin, and was the only one till 1855, when John W. Gilmore brought his wife and young son from Indiana in that year, and permanently established a home on Willow creek, at the big spring which is now to be seen in the hotel yard at O’Neal’s post office.

History of Fresno County and The San Joaquin Valley, Page 39

by Lilbourne Alsip Winchell, 1933

Transcribed by Liz Brase 2007